The Fourth Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2011. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Xinhua writers Meng Na, Tian Ye

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China opened its annual parliamentary session on Saturday, unveiling a five-year development blueprint and striving to handle pressing economic issues including inflation.

Nearly 3,000 National People's Congress (NPC) deputies from across the country, and more than 2,000 members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body, were present in the Great Hall of the People at the opening meeting of the Fourth Session of the 11th NPC.

Top Communist Party of China (CPC) and state leaders Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang were present at the meeting.

The world is watching how China copes with the current complex situation and seizes the strategic opportunity for its development in 2011, the start of its 12th Five-Year Plan and the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC.

At the parliamentary meeting, Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a report on government work, noting that China "still faces an extremely complex situation for development" this year.

He said some long-term and short-term problems in China's economic activities are intertwined, and institutional incongruities and structural problems are stacked up together, making the country's macro-control more difficult.

China has overtaken Japan as the world's second largest economy. Prior to the parliamentary session, some media doubt whether China can sustain its economic growth as they believe China has difficulties of increasing export, boosting domestic demand, and improving efficiency of spending.

Moreover, they think social conflicts in some localities will be another factor hindering the country's economic development.